Simplicity is one of the most drawing features of homesteading. Many might reckon this lifestyle as dull and laid-back. You will certainly live off the land and make the best use of natural resources. However, homesteading is nowhere close to being a cakewalk. The chill dreamy life needs you to master a good number of skills and keep bustling. You must put in hard labor to sail through the day. From farming and animal husbandry to being a handyman or a resourceful manufacturer of textiles, the lives of homesteaders are busy, tedious, and fulfilling.
The lifestyle is worth a thousand praises. Learning the basic life skills help you in being sustainable and self-reliant. You no longer need to embrace a capitalist mentality. Homesteading teaches you how to rely on yourself, and not the abundance of materials and conveniences that turn you into a sloth.
To continue with the hard work, you must have a few basic tools and equipment handy. Let’s quickly look at a list of ‘must-have’ homesteading essentials.
Things you need for a self-sufficient life
1. Pliers – Having a decent set of pliers in your toolbox is a good idea. Keep multiple sizes of pliers for different purposes. Believe it or not, but pliers are of great use when you are living by yourself.
2. Gloves – A homesteader considers gloves as an essential part of their wardrobes. Since sustainable agriculture is primary in this lifestyle, you will need to get your hands dirty, a lot more than you picture. Imagine weeding the farms or planting the crops. That’s not all! From putting up fences to doing construction works and other laborious jobs, having a pair of gloves is essential.
3. Twines and cable ties – There will be objects you will need to hang. Nothing can work better than heavy-duty cable ties and twines. If you don’t have a baling twine, don’t worry. You can always use ropes instead.
4. Feed pans – Are you raising livestock? If yes, you must have a few feed pans in stock. Place them in the paddocks for the animals. You can always switch the regular metal feed pans with rubber ones. These are prone to lesser damage.
5. Solar oven – Setting up a solar oven can be of immense use for multiple purposes. You can boil water and purify it for consumption, cook food, dehydrate edibles when needed, and a ton of other things.
6. Small utility vehicle – If you could shell out some money, spending on a utility vehicle is a good idea. Requesting for a pickup truck to move items every now and then is certainly not feasible. A small utility vehicle can do the job instead. From mowing and bailing hay, to shifting items, a utility vehicle does it all.
7. Cookware, preferably cast iron – Of course you will cook and eat when you are homesteading. Investing in the best quality cast iron cookware is beneficial. Whether you pop the cookware in the oven or place it on a firetop, the items will not melt off.
8. First aid kit – If you are homesteading in a far-off land, reaching a health care facility in minutes is the hard part. Having a few basic medical supplies like band-aids, burn creams, thermometers, pain relievers, and some more can be of good use. You can learn about healing home remedies too.
Adapting to homesteading is a process. These essentials will help you forge through a tough day of intense hard work with ease.
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